Mail feeding equipment



Dec. 13, 1966 A. D. PEDAGNO MAIL FEEDING EQUIPMENT 5 Shee ts-Sheet 1Filed June 10, 1965 INVENTOR Z Pedy/m Dec. 13, 1966 A. D. PEDAGNO3,291,232

MAIL FEEDING EQUIPMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 10, 1965 fl/ggfa/vioj) Paddy/70 Dec. 13, 1966 A. D. PEDAGNO 3,291,282

MAIL FEEDING EQUIPMENT Filed June 10, 1,965 5 Sheets-5heet 4 QQ N b 0 Qo a w ."VILNTOR. 0 a

Dec. 13, 1966 A. D. PEDAGNO $291 22 MAIL FEEDING EQUIPMENT 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 10, 1.965

IN ENTOR,

United States Patent 3,291,232 MAIL FEEDENG EQUHPMENT Antonio 1).Pedagno, 588 Henry St, Brooklyn, NIY. Filed June Ill, 1965, Ser. No.462,975 12 (Ilaims. (Cl. 198-66) This invention relates generally tomail feeding equipment and more particularly to mail feeding equipmentby the use of which the necessary procedure of feeding culled mail isgreatly facilitated and space economized.

A typical mail feeding and culling procedure involves the constantmovement of personnel between the receiving and cancelling and bundlingstations, and because of this movement of personnel the work has beencarried out on one floor level necessitating the provision of a greatamount of floor space and large loss of time and in turn of the work ofthe mail sorters.

An object of the invention is to arrange the culling and cancellingstations at different levels whereby gravity feed of the mail fromstation to station may be utilized.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanical mail feedingand culling equipment which is simple in design and has a minimum ofworking parts resulting in avoidance of mechanical failure and less costof maintenance.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE 1 is a view, part sectional, part elevational and partdiagrammatical, of mail feeding equipment ernbodying the invention andsuitable for sorting large volumes of mail, parts being shown brokenaway, a bag of mail being shown dumped into the equipment for culling.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof, the mail being omitted.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG.2, mail being shown on the endless belt.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, mail beingshown.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of mail feeding equipment embodying amodified form of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view thereof, parts being shown brokenaway, mail being shown transported.

FIG. 7 is a similar view of mail feeding equipment embodying anothermodified form of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view as seen along the line 8-3 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective detail view of the suction chamber andmanifold of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of mail feeding equipment embodyingyet another modified form of the invention, parts being shown brokenaway, mail being shown transported.

FIG. 11 is a detail perspective view of modified form of suctionchamber, parts being shown broken away.

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are detail perspective views of mod fi d forms ofslide chutes.

Referring more in detail to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1,mail feeding and culling equipment embodying a preferred embodiment ofthe invention is shown and indicated generally at Ill. The equipment inis shown diagrammatically mounted on a mezzanine floor 12. and on themain floor 14 of the structure, such as a post office. On the mezzaninefloor 12, at one end, there is shown a chute 16 having an inwardlyslanting outer end wall 18 and inwardly slanting side wall 2d, 2th withrectangular 3,291,282 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 shaped inwardly projectingextensions 24, 24. The chute is supported by spaced vertical posts 26.

A perforated endless belt 23 extends from the outer end of the chute tothe inner end thereof. The belt 28 is trained around a shaft 3r) at theouter end thereof, a shaft 34- at the inner end thereof and a shaft 36intermediate the ends thereof, and over a guide shaft 38 intermediatethe ends of the belt. The outer shaft 3t? is disposed in a plane belowthe plane of the other shaft so that the belt is provided with aslanting uphill portion 4-0 onto which mail in the form of letters 42 isdumped from a mail bag 44 as seen in FIG. 1. Shaft 34 is operativelyconnected to an electric motor 35.

Another perforated endless belt 48 is provided closely spaced from theinner end of belt 28. Belt 48 is trained around a shaft 5%} at one endthereof, the left hand end as viewed in FIG. 1, a shaft 52 at the otherend, and a shaft 54 intermediate the ends. Shafts 52 and 54 are on thesame plane as the shafts 34 and 36 of belt 28. The shaft St} is disposedon a lower plane than the plane of the shaft 5%} and 52 and is disposedin an opening 56 in the mezzanine floor 12. The belt 48 is also trainedaround a guide shaft 53 disposed slightly below the shafts 52 and 5 1.The shafts are suitably journalled in side supports and shaft 2 isoperatively connected to a motor 53. The upper reach of the belt 48extends along elongated strips 66 supported by vertical posts 62 toprevent mail from falling off of the belt. The belt 48 in following theshafts is provided with an uphill slanting portion 64. A chute essimilar in shape to the body of chute 16 is suitably mounted on themezzanine floor I12 above the opening 56 in the mezzanine floorunderneath the inner end of the belt 218 so that letters are adapted tofall by gravity into the chute 66 as seen in FIG. 1. The slanting uphillportion 64 of belt 48 extends downwardly into the chute 65 below thebottom thereof and through an opening 62; in the bottom thereof to therear of the chute. A metal channel-shaped casing 7% having a base wall72, opposed side walls 74, and end walls 76 and 73 is suitably mountedon the chute as below the slanted uphill portion 64. The casing isformed with an enlargement 8% adjacent its top end '73 to provideclearance for the cross shaft 54 which extends out through holes in theside walls 7d. The belt 28 moves over the open top of the casing '70forming the closure for the top, thebelt riding over and guided by aninwardly extending flange 82 on the end wall 76 and an outwardlyextending flange 84 on the end wall 78. A vacuum pump 36 is mounted onthe mezzanine floor 12 adjacent the casing 79, which pump is connectedto the interior of the casing 7% by a pipe 88 leading to an inlet )9 inthe base wall 72 of the casing. The casing '70 and belt 28 thus define asuction chamber 92.

Mail, such as the letters 93 that has been left remaining after theculling operation, falls by gravity into the chute 66 and is sucked bythe pump 86 flat against the outer surface of the slanted uphill portion64 of belt 48 and carried upwardly to the topmost reach of the belt andthen carried forwardly or toward the right as viewed in FIG. 1 in thedirection of the arrow.

Referring particularly to FIG. 2, a number of perforated spaced endlessbelts are suitably mounted on the elongated strips 60 and extend overand across the belt 43 closely spaced thereabove. Three belts, 94, 6 and98 are shown and each is trained around rollers fixed on shafts Hi2extending along both sides of the belt 48. Vertically disposed tubulardrop or gravity chutes 1% are suitably supported in openings 106 formedin the mezzanine floor 12 adjacent one side of the belt. Each gravity ordrop chute 104 continues into an integral slide chute 1% slantingdownwardly and laterally from the drop chute 104. Each slide chute 198has one side 110 slanting inwardly toward the other opposite side 1112thereby forming a guide for the letters to guide the letters to one sideof the chute, toward the side 112, and into a narrow extension 114, openat its free end, and leading to an endless belt 116 mounted in anelongated casing 118 supported on the main floor 14 therebelow. The belt116 brings the culled letters in proper position to the cancelling andbundling stations.

With particular reference to FIG. 4, in accordance with the invention, arectangular inverted pan-shaped shallow casing 118 is suitably mountedon the side strips 69 and positioned inside each endless belt 94, 96 and98 with the lower reach of the belt closing the bottom open end of thecasing as viewed in FIG. 4. The casing 118 and endless belt 94constitute a suction chamber 120 suitably and operatively connected to amanifold 122 including a pipe 124 operatively connected to the vacuumpump 86. The suction chambers of all of the endless belts areoperatively connected to the vacuum pump by means of the manifold 122.

In operation, a bag 44 of mail in the form of letters of all classes isdumped into the trough 16 onto the upwardly moving endless belt portion40 of belt 28. A mail sorter is stationed on each side of the belt 28and manually culls out the letters it is not desired to process. Theletters that are left are carried by the endless belt 28 to the endthereof where they drop by gravity down into the trough 66 and duringtheir fall they are sucked onto the surface of the uphill slantingportion 64 of the belt 48 by means of the suction pump 86 and suctionchamber 92 therebehind. The letters are carried along the top reach ofbelt 48 until they reach the first transverse belt, such as belt 94,whereupon the vacuum pump 86 and manifold 122 suck the letters off ofbelt 48 onto the bottom reach of belt 94 as shown in FIG. 4 and carrysuch letters to the outer end of the belt 94 where they drop by gravityinto the drop chute 104 therebelow and from chute 104, the letters slidedown through slide chute 108 into the narrow extension 114 thereof andoff of extension 114 onto the endless belt 116 that carries them to thecancellation and bundling stations (not shown).

In FIGS. 5 and 6, mail feeding and culling equipment embodying amodified form of the invention is shown. The equipment 10 differs fromthe equipment 10 of FIG. 1 in that a pair of endless belts 48, 48'receive the culled letters 93' from the endless belt 28. Thisnecessitates a wider chute 66, extending from side to sides of the belts48, 48. Midway its ends, the chute 66 is formed with a transversepartition 130 so that when the letters fall off the end of belt 28, theystrike the partition 130 and fall on both sides of the partition, somefalling on one of the belts 48 and other letters falling on the other ofsaid belts 48', thereby dividing the load. At the exit end of each belt48', two drop or gravity chutes 104 are provided, each drop chutecontinuing into an integral slide chute 108'. The slide chute 108' asseen in FIG. 13 consists of a flaring portion 132 joined to the end ofthe drop chute which flaring portion continues into a narrowchannel-shaped portion 134. A central partition wall 136 extendscentrally of the body of the chute from end to end thereof dividing thebody of the chute into two compartments 138, 138 leading to thecancelling and bundling stations.

Another modified form of mail feeding and culling equipment 10" is shownin FIGS. 7 to 9, inclusive. The equipment 10 includes only a single longendless belt 28 that receives the mail in the form of letters 42" andcarries them initially uphill where they are manually culled at portion40 and then along the top reach of the belt. A plurality of spacedtransverse belts 94", 96", 98" and 100 similar in arrangement endconstruction to the belts 96, 97 and 98 FIG. 1 terminate at one end overdrop chutes 104" extending through openings 106" in the mezzanine floor12" where they continue into downsuch as the pump 86 in FIG. 1.

The modified form of mail feeding and culling equipment 10a shown inFIG. 10 is installed on the main floor 140. The perforated receivingendless belt 48a has a very short horizontal portion, the end of whichis received in the top end of the slide chute 108a, which chute leadsdirectly to the endless belt 116a in casing 118a. Belt 1161: leads tothe cancellation and bundling stations. The slide chute 108a may besimilar in construction to the slide chute 103' shown in FIG. 13.

In all other respects, the equipment 10a is similar to the equipment 10and similar reference numerals are used to indicate similar par-ts.

In FIG. 11, a modified form of suction chamber 92x is shown wherein theopen top of the channel-shaped casing 70x is spanned by a wire grill ormesh 126 over which the perforated endless belt 48x moves carrying theletters 93x. A reinforcing bar 123 may be fastened to the side walls 74xof the chamber. The grill or mesh 126 adds rigidity to the chamber andgives body to the endless belt 48x.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of theinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and that various'changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. Equipment for effecting a first culling followedb delivery to final collection receptacles of flat articles such aspieces of mail or cards, comprising: a first trough receiving mailpromiscuously; a first receiving movable endless belt for carrying saidmail forwardly in position to be manually culled; a second trough at theinner end of said endless belt disposed in a plane below the end of thebelt; a second movable receiving perforated endless belt having one endmovable through said second trough and adapted to carry mail from saidsecond trough; air suction means in said second trough for sucking mailfrom the second trough onto said one end of the perforated belt; meansfor moving said second endless belt; a series of space transversemovable perforated endless belts disposed across the top of the secondendless belt and closely spaced therefrom; air suction means associatedwith said transverse belts for sucking mail off of the second endlessbelt onto said transverse belts; means for moving said transverse belt,a gravity chute at the end of each transverse belt adapted to receivethe mail carried by said adjacent transverse belt; and a slide chuteoperatively connected to each gravity chute for guiding mail to amovable endless belt, said latter belt leading to a collectionreceptacle.

2. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the air suction means in saidsecond trough includes an air suction chamber associated with the end ofthe endless belt in said second trough and a suction pump operativelyconnected to said suction chamber.

3. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the air suction meansassociated with each transverse endless belt includes a suction chamberassociated with the respective transverse endless belt, a suction pump,and a manifold operatively interposed between the pump and suctionchamber.

4. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the air suction means in saidsecond trough includes an air suction chamber associated with the end ofthe endless belt in said second trough and a suction pump operativelyconnected to said suction chamber, and wherein the suction meansassociated with each transverse endless belt includes a suction chamberassociated with the respective transverse endless belt, a suction pump,and a manifold operatively interposed between the pump and suctionchamber.

5. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the slide chutes eachincludes an elongated channel-shaped body, with one side of the bodytapering toward the other side thereby producing a restricted end of thebody leading to the adjacent endless belt.

6. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the first trough has anopening in the bottom thereof and wherein the adjacent end of the firstendless belt extends through said opening and extends upwardly to thetop of said trough, and wherein the second trough has an opening in thebottom thereof and the adjacent end of the second endless belt extendsthrough said latter opening, and extends upwardly to the top of saidsecond trough.

7. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the troughs and endless beltsare supported on a mezzanine floor and wherein the mezzanine floor hasopenings to receive the gravity chutes, and wherein the slide chuteslead to a main floor on a lower level than the mezzanine floor.

8. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the suction chamber includesa base wall, side walls and end walls and being open at the top, and awire mesh spanning the open top.

9. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the suction chamber includesa base Wall, side walls and end walls and being open at the top, a wiremesh spanning the open top and a bar extending across the space betweenthe side walls for reinforcing the chamber.

10. Equipment for effecting a first culling followed by delivery tofinal collection receptacles of flat articles such as pieces of mail orcards, comprising: trough for receiving mail promiscuously; an elongatedmovable endless belt, one end of the belt extending to the bottom ofsaid trough, the mail on said extension adapted to be culled manually,said belt extending forwardly of said trough carrying the culled mail,means for moving said endless belt, a series of space transverse movableperforated endless belts disposed across the top of said endless beltand closely spaced therefrom, air suction means associated with saidtransverse belts for sucking mail off of the first named endless beltonto said transverse belts, means for moving said transverse belts, agravity chute at the end of each transverse belt adapted to receive themail carried by said adjacent transverse belt and a slide chuteoperatively connected to each gravity chute for guiding mail to amovable endless belt, said latter endless belt leading to a collectionreceptacle.

11. Equipment as defined in claim 10 wherein the slide chutes each has achannel-shaped body.

12. Equipment as defined in claim 10 wherein the slide chutes terminateat different horizontal planes thereby conserving space.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,609,912 9/ 1952Engel 19848 2,941,653 6/ 1960 Kniemelmeyer 198--31 2,961,085 11/1960Stovall 19830 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Examiner.

1. EQUIPMENT FOR EFFECTING A FIRST CULLING FOLLOWED BY DELIVERY TO FINALCOLLECTION RECEPTACLES OF FLAT ARTICLES SUCH AS PIECES OF MAIL OR CARDS,COMPRISING; A FIRST TROUGH RECEIVING MAIL PROMISCUOUSLY; A FIRSTRECEIVING MOVABLE ENDLESS BELT FOR CARRYING SAID MAIL FORWARDLY INPOSITION TO BE MANUALLY CULLED; A SECOND TROUGH AT THE INNER END OF SAIDENDLES BELT DISPOSED IN A PLANE BELOW THE END OF THE BELT; A SECONDMOVABLE RECEIVING PERFORATED ENDLESS BELT HAVING ONE END MOVABLE THROUGHSAID SECONDTROUGH AND ADAPTED TO CARRY MAIL FROM SAID SECOND TROUGH; AIRSUCTION MEANS IN SAID SECOND TROUGH FOR SUCKING MAIL FROM THE SECONDTROUGH ONTO SAID ONE END OF THE PERFORATED BELT; MEANS FOR MOVING SAIDSECOND ENDLESS BELT; A SERIES OF SPACE TRANSVERSE MOVABLE PERFORATEDENDLESS BELTS DISPOSED ACROSS THE TOP OF THE SECOND ENDLESS BELT ANDCLOSELY SPACED THEREFROM; AIR SUCTION MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAIDTRANSVERSE BELTS FOR SUCKING MAIL OFF OF THE SECOND ENDLESS BELT ONTOSAID TRANSVERSE BELTS; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID TRANSVERSE BELT, A GRAVITYCHUTE AT THE END OF EACH TRANSVERSE BELT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE MAILCARRIED BY SAID ADJACENT TRANSVERSE BELT; AND A SLIDE CHUTE OPERATIVELYCONNECTED TO EACH GRAVITY CHUTE FOR GUIDING MAIL TO A MOVABLE ENDLESSBELT, SAID LATTER BELT LEADING TO A COLLECTION RECEPTACLE.